


Commander Cody and Captain Rex: Ficlets

by RowanSparrow



Series: Star Wars: The Clone Wars Mini-Fic Collections [3]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Major Character Injury, Mild Sexual Content, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-04-22 14:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14310597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowanSparrow/pseuds/RowanSparrow
Summary: A collection of Codex ficlets I've originally posted on my tumblr (@rowansparrow-writing) that i'm collecting here for the AO3 community. Enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on Tumblr @rowansparrow-writing! Make some requests of your own!

“Dammit, Rex.” Cody swore, yanking the Captain’s helmet off. “You better not die. You better not kriffin’ die, not here, not now.” 

Rex’s eyes were closed, his skin so pale and sunken it made Cody’s heart stop. Blood was leaking out from between his blacks, his chest plate pulverized. 

_Focus. Figure out where the blood’s coming from._

Around them, the war paid no mind to the torment of the Commander, looming over his Captain, frantically ripping off the remains of his armor, searching for his injuries. Maybe the shrapnel from the explosion just grazed him? Or maybe he just landed funny after the explosion threw him ten yards away, and he’s just got a broken arm or a few cracked ribs. Bones could heal, Cody told himself. Bones could heal, bones could heal, Rex could heal, Rex, Rex-.

“Rex?” Cody cupped the Captain’s face in his hands, his voice cracking with desperation. “Rex, you kriffin’ piece of _osik_ , I swear to all the little gods if you _die_ -.” 

Rex sputtered then, his eyes flying open as he coughed, blood spattering his crescent moon lips. He drew a shaky breath, and Cody nearly collapsed right there, forced himself to stay upright. 

“Glad you decided to rejoin the land of the living, _di’kut_.” Cody tried to sound sarcastic, but his voice came out quiet and shaky. “You’re going to be fine, just lie still, I’ve gotta find-.”

“You sh-shouldn’t’ve f-f-fallen for me, C-Cody.” Rex’s voice was trembling, his whole body shaking. Little gods, he was so cold. Why was he so cold? 

“Shut up.” Cody growled, finally getting the last of Rex’s armor off and pulling his blacks open in the middle of the battlefield. Oh, nine hells…

His torso was shredded to ribbons, shrapnel protruding from the mangled flesh. Cody thought he could make out some bone in the mess.

“Little gods, little gods, please, Rex-.” Rex’s name fell from Cody’s lips like a prayer, like saying his name would somehow tether him to the land of the living just a little longer. “Rex, Rex, just hold on, I’ll - I’ll find a medic, I’ll.” 

“Need t’go.” Rex slurred. “They’ll ge… get you t-too.” His eyes drooped a little bit, and Cody grabbed him, cupping his face in his hands. 

“No, listen to me, listen to me, dammit! Don’t close your eyes, do you understand me? That’s an _order_ , Captain!” 

“Cody…” Rex whimpered slightly, and Cody studied his partner, the man he loved more than anything, saw how afraid, how vulnerable, how _young_ he looked. “Cody, I -.”

“Don’t.” Cody whispered, felt tears stinging at his eyes. He blinked them away, refused to let Rex’s face blur. “Don’t start that. Just hold on, yeah? Hold on, please, Rex just-.” 

“I love you.” 

Rex’s voice was crystal clear, like the calm before the storm. 

“I didn’t mean to fall in love with you, I just did.” 

He reached for Cody’s hand. “I love you, I love you, I love -.” His body seized up, a trickle of blood slipping past his lips, and his eyes fell closed. 

“Rex?” Cody whispered, gathering the Captain up in his arms. “Rex, no, Rex! Come back, come back, dammit! I love you too, I love you, don’t go, please

_come back_!” 

He collapsed over Rex’s body, his tears mixing with Rex’s blood. 

“Damn you…” He whispered, shaking his head. _“Damn you.”_


	2. Chapter 2

Commander Cody had never seen a battle quite as bad as this one. 

 

Troopers were dropping left and right, their Jedi Generals nowhere in sight. He wasn’t stupid, he knew how this was going to end, knew there was only one way this _could_ end. 

 

“Cody!” 

 

Rex’s voice roared over the deafening sounds of battle raging around them. He blasted his way through four super battle droids before finally making it to Cody, fitting his back up against the Commanders. “We’re outgunned!” He shouted. “We’ve got to fall back, now!”

 

“We can’t!” Cody yelled back. “They’ve already cut us off!” 

 

“Where’s Kenobi and Skywalker!?” 

 

“I don’t know!!” 

 

He could hear Rex’s breathing, ragged through the filters in his helmet. “Kriff… Kriff, Cody… I think this is it.” 

 

Cody grit his teeth, watched two more of his men go down. 

 

“It’s not over ‘til it’s over, Rex.” He snapped back, pressing his back closer to Rex’s. “Keep firing!” 

 

“Listen, if this is it, I need to tell you something.” 

 

“Stop talking like we’re going to die, Rex!” Cody shouted, finally whipping his head around to glare at the Captain. Their faces were so close, Cody could make out his eyes through the visor. They were tough as ever, but Cody saw the fear behind them. 

 

“Listen to me!” Rex insisted, turning back to the battle so he wouldn’t have to look at Cody. “I-.”

 

He cut off suddenly, a fresh wave of droids coming up over the hill, mowing down the last remaining troopers. They were pinned. Rex grit his teeth. 

 

“Got any grenades left?” He asked quietly. Cody understood what he was getting at, slowly lowered his gun. 

 

“Alright,” he murmured. He pulled a grenade from his utility belt, found Rex’s hand and squeezed it. 

 

“Let’s finish this the way we started it - together.” 

 

He waited until the last of the clones had fallen, then pulled the pin from the grenade. Rex squeezed his hand. 


	3. Chapter 3

There was a certain look Captain Rex got in his eyes when he was pissed to hell and back. Though the majority of the current generation of clones hadn’t actually met Jango Fett, Rex didn’t leave much to the imagination when he was in this state. As he stalked down the halls of the barracks towards the 212th quarters, shinies and officers alike were practically leaping out of his way. 

Rex thundered into the 212th barracks, raw anger and reckless energy filling the air he walked in. It really isn’t surprising the officers began to take the traits of their Generals. Rex’s flaring temper and bolstering bravado had definitely been contributed from Skywalker. 

Likewise, Commander Cody’s unwavering calm - he barely even looked up from his datapad when Rex threw open the door to his office - was an acquired trait from his own General Kenobi. When Rex threw down a few sheets of flimsi on his desk, huffing in righteous fury, only then did Cody set his datapad aside with a small sigh. 

“You seem bothered.” He commented lightly. 

“Bothered?” Rex repeated, barking out a very alarmingly shrill laugh. _“Bothered? Bothered_ is when Hardcase snores too loud. _Bothered_ is when Kix makes his pot of caf extra strong and doesn’t clean out the pot so then I accidentally drink it. _Bothered_ is Fives strutting around in nothing but his karking kama like it’s some sort of game. This,” He jabbed a finger at the stack of flimsis. “We’re past bothered with this, you - you _ass_.”

Cody picked up the flimsis, leaving through them absently. His eyes widened when they settled on the first one, and he cleared his throat at the second - that one was in _color_. 

“Well,” he began slowly, delicately. “In defense of whoever made these,” He arched an eyebrow at Rex, the smallest of smirks on his lips. “They definitely picked the right subject for their… artwork.” 

“This - This isn’t art!” Rex shouted. “This is - This -.”

“You’re hot when you’re angry.” Cody grinned cheekily. Rex flushed a brilliant crimson and continued sputtering. 

“Don’t - don’t you try to play this off like this wasn’t all your idea.” Rex snapped. Cody chuckled, turned back to the sheets of flimsi. Truthfully, he was hoping the nose-art of Captain Rex would make it onto the 501st gunships _before_ Rex got his hands on the concept art. No such luck, apparently.

“Why are you upset?” Cody asked innocently, rising to his feet. “I rather like it.” He leaned over the desk, tugging on Rex’s pauldron, pulling him closer. “I like the idea of you sitting pretty on one of those torpedos… nothing but your pauldron on your handsome shoulders… one leg up to hide that pretty little ass of yours - that’s just for me.” 

Rex’s teeth were still grit, but his face was beginning to soften, his eyes shifting from rage to … something else. 

“I hate you so much.” Rex sighed, but he was smiling now. Cody had cracked him. “I hate you, you kriffing _di’kut_.” 

“Sure you do.” 

“You’re my _least_ favorite _vod_.” He reached for the pictures, and Cody pulled them back, out of his reach. 

“No, no, Captain,” he purred, stepping back from the desk. “If you want these back, you’re going to have to _take_ them from me.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's art for this chapter!! Check it out on my tumblr @rowansparrow-writing (HUGE thanks to @izzysuniversestuff on Tumblr for doing the art for me!!)


	4. Chapter 4

The Captain was right where the Commander knew he’d be. 

 

Captain Rex was in the mess hall, completely empty save for him. An untouched cup of caff sat on the table in front of him, his head in his hands. Cody approached loudly, making sure to make his presence known. The Captain barely even moved. 

 

“Rex,” Cody murmured, placing a hand gently on Rex’s shoulder. “When’s the last time you slept?”

 

Rex chuckled grimly, shrugging Cody’s hand off. 

 

“I’m Fine.” He insisted for what felt like the millionth time. “Stop hovering.” 

 

Cody frowned, moving his hand back to Rex, but instead scratching his gloved fingers through Rex’s buzzed hair in the way he knew the other trooper adored. Sure enough, Rex sighed softly, leaned into his touch. 

 

“How long?” Cody repeated. 

 

“Not sure.” Rex finally admitted. “Few days, maybe?” He paused, lowering his gaze. “I see him. Every time I close my eyes, he’s there, Codes.” 

 

Cody sighed softly, lowering himself down onto the bench Rex was sitting on. 

 

“You have to let that go, vod.” He murmured. “When are you going to forgive yourself for what happened?”

 

“It was my fault.” Rex growled, grinding his palms into his eyes in frustration. “He grabbed my guns, and Fox fired, and I couldn’t -.” He cut himself off. “I couldn’t stop him. I couldn’t save him.” 

 

“You shouldn’t have had to.” Cody snapped, fed up. “Rex, what Fives did was his decision, and his alone. He tried to kill the Chancellor, he turned against the Republic, against all his brothers. He wasn’t one of us anymore.” 

 

Rex drew back like Cody had slapped him. “How can you say something like that?” Rex whispered. 

 

Cody set his mouth into a hard line. “Fives disobeyed orders.” Cody answered sternly. “He’s probably the reason Tup is dead, and more brothers would’ve died too if Fox hadn’t done his duty and shot him.” 

 

“He died because he knew too much!” Rex yelled suddenly, thundering to his feet. “He was trying to save us, not condemn us!” 

 

“Rex,” Cody’s voice was low, warning. “I’ve let this go on long enough. I know you were close with him, and that’s why I haven’t done this sooner, but Rex,” He grabbed the Captain by the shoulders, forced him to look Cody in the eye. “Fives was wrong. Everything you’re saying is bordering on treasonous. You have to let it go.” 

 

Rex grit his teeth, eyes narrowing as he looked at Cody, like he was seeing him for the very first time. 

 

“So,” Cody prompted. “Go back to the barracks and get some sleep. Don’t worry about the dead. Worry about yourself.” 

 

“Right.” Rex growled, turning his back on Cody and storming out of the mess hall. 

 

“Rex!” Cody shouted after him. Rex didn’t turn around, and Cody sighed.

 

Rex was fine. He said he was fine. 


	5. Chapter 5

Rex sighed softly, closing his eyes and arching his back into the bed, arms wrapped around his Commander. Cody was mouthing at his neck, his hands moving up and down his body. 

 

“Kriff,” Rex whispered, bucking his hips up against Cody’s. “Kriff, Cody.” 

 

Cody growled gently against Rex’s skin, biting down lightly on his collarbone, pulling his blacks down slightly. 

 

“Off.” Cody commanded, yanking on Rex’s shirt. Rex sat up enough for Cody to shimmy off the offending fabric, tossing it to the ground. 

 

“Cody,” Rex moaned softly, and Cody worked his lips down Rex’s collarbone and to his chest, kissing above his heart and down his stomach, settling just above the waistband of his lower blacks. He worked his way back up, teasing Rex with feather-light kisses. He moved instead to Rex’s ribs, kissing along his ribcage and up his side until-. 

 

Rex giggled, jerking his knee up, narrowly missing kicking Cody in the chin. “Don’t, not there.” Rex snickered, pushing Cody’s shoulders back slightly. 

 

“Oh?” Cody murmured, smirking down at his Captain. “Are you ticklish?”

 

“No.” Rex said, too quickly. Kriff. 

 

Cody’s smile turned into something devilish, and he ambushed Rex, grabbing both his wrists with one hand and pinning them above his head as his other hand grappled for his sides. 

 

“No, no!” Rex laughed, trying to twist away. “Stop! Cody, I swear to all the hells, i’ll kick your karkin-.” He broke off in another fit of giggles, squirming underneath Cody as he held him down, chuckling into his neck. 

 

“Who would’ve guessed the infamous Captain Rex was ticklish?” Cody purred, looking down tenderly at his Captain. Rex was breathing hard, his bare chest rising and falling heavily, staring up into Cody’s eyes. 

 

“You can’t tell anybody.” Rex said softly, a giggly smile still on his face. Cody kissed the look right off of him, making the Captain moan into his mouth. 

 

“Oh trust me, I won’t.” Cody murmured against his lips. He pulled back, running his thumb over Rex’s swollen lower lip. “That smile? That smile’s all mine.” 


	6. Chapter 6

Captain Rex was deeply asleep when he felt a particularly rough jab to his ribcage that jolted him right out of his dreaming. 

“What the kriff?” He mumbled groggily, the fatigue from the last mission still weighing him down and making his movements sluggish. 

“Stop hogging all the blankets.” An equally sleep-clogged voice grumbled from beside him. “’S hard enough sleepin’ in these kriffin’ tiny ass beds without you being stingy with the blankets.” 

Rex chuckled, rolling over to face the voice. Commander Cody was stubbornly not opening his eyes, instead electing to forcefully tug on the thin blanket, wrapping it tighter around himself. 

“If you’re so cold,” Rex teased. “You could just come a little closer.” 

For emphasis, Rex scooted closer to Cody, tossing one arm lazily over the Commander’s hip as his chest collided with Cody’s, spreading warmth between them. Finally, Cody cracked an eye open, grunting at Rex as he nuzzled closer. 

“Alright, I suppose this is acceptable.” He grumbled, a tiny smile teasing his lips. Rex grinned, soothing a hand over Cody’s weather-worn cheeks. The latest mission on Geonosis had not been kind to the Commander, and his already scarred skin was coarse and dry, the beginning scratches of a beard shadowing his angular face. Poor bastard hadn’t even used the refresher when they got back on the ship, just stripped out of his armor and collapsed into bed, and that’s where Rex had found him. 

“Let’s run away together.” Rex suggested suddenly. 

“Mm, did you hit your head on Geonosis, Captain?” Cody mumbled sleepily, already falling back under. Rex nudged him gently, trying to keep him awake. 

“I mean it.” He replied softly, and Cody slowly reopened his eyes, giving Rex a searching look. 

“Maybe.” He answered evasively. “Someday. After this is over.” 

Rex’s smile was sad as he studied Cody, but didn’t press the issue further. He knew his Commander all too well: He would never leave until the fighting was done. 

And even then…

Rex shook the thoughts away. It didn’t do to dwell on the future. What mattered for people like Captain Rex was the present, and for now, he was content to lie with his Commander, and let the sound of his easy breathing lull him off to sleep. 


	7. Chapter 7

Captain Rex heard the blast before he saw it. Or rather, it wasn’t the blast he’d heard at all. the sounds of explosions had become like white noise to the veteran trooper, the sound so common to him he barely registered it at all. No, the Captain did not hear the blast, after all. What he had heard was the unmistakable wails of men amid their death throes, of bodies smacking into the ground after they’d been volleyed into the air, of a certain Commander shouting his name before roughly tackling him to the ground, covering Captain Rex’s body with his own. 

When the fire of the explosion finally caught up with the sounds of it, Rex saw the pillars of flames surge out around them, the heat streaking up and down his armor plates, kissing his blacks between the plates and singing his skin. Above him, Commander Cody shielded him, the fire and remnants of the explosion crashing down on them like a tidal wave, sweeping the commander back out to the sea of flames. Of bodies. _Of men._

Rex found his voice, lost it immediately as he tried to scream, the smoke choking off his windpipe while the melting material of his blacks fused with the skin of his neck, blistering. He fumbled to his feet, hands clawing at the war-trodden ground, fingers searching for purchase as he tried to stand. His scanners were damaged, a portion of his helmet blown clean off in the fray. He was lucky to still have his eye. 

He spotted Cody several feet away, laying where he’d been thrown away from the force of the explosion. His arms and legs were bent crookedly beneath him, like someone had cut all the strings off a puppet and let it drop. Rex heaved himself forward, his knee buckling the moment he’d put weight on it. He crumpled in on himself, forcing his body onward in a crawl, hauling himself forward on his elbows and shins, shuffling himself over bodies and through the whine of blaster fire until he reached his Commander. 

“Cody.” His voice cracked on the word, thick with smoke and soot. “Cody, hey-.” 

Cody’s helmet was still on, though it was concaved, smashed in from the back so forcefully that Rex could see the dip of his skull following the divot in the helmet. 

“Cody,” Rex whispered, reaching for the Commander.  ** _“Don’t die on me - please.”_**

“Captain.” Kix’s voice was at his shoulder. There were hands on his biceps, hoisting him up. “Captain, we need to move.”

“Cody-.” 

“He’s gone, sir. I’m sorry.” 

“He was-.” 

“Sir, we have to leave _now_.” 

Rex tried to shake his lead medic off him, tried to reach for Cody, but his hands fell short, falling instead against the ground surrounding the fallen Commander, hands coming away slick with blood. 


	8. Chapter 8

Captain Rex surveyed their encampment quietly. He’d made the rounds a few times now, to antsy to really sleep, but too worn out from the days of battle to really do anything other than circle their camp.

The Command tent was buttoned up tight, the lanterns long since put out. The 501st encampment was spread out directly across from the 212th one, and Rex briefly wondered if Commander Cody was asleep yet.

Almost as though the Captain’s thoughts had summoned him, Cody cleared his throat, stepping up beside Rex.

“I’ve seen you circle the camp twice now, Captain.” Cody murmured, letting his hand brush against Rex’s knuckles slightly as they stood side-by-side. “Anything wrong?”

“No,” Rex replied absently, still looking over the tents filled with sleeping soldiers. “Just checking on things.”

“Well, you’d best be checking on things within the perimeter.” Cody chuckled softly. “You’re lucky a droid scout hasn’t blown you away yet.”

Rex hummed dryly, tilting his head towards Cody slightly in acknowledgement as the two of them made their way back down the hill, heading towards the Clone command tent where they slept.

“Hold on.” Cody murmured, taking Rex’s wrist and holding him back from the tent for a moment.

“What?” Rex asked him in a low voice. Cody had his helmet on, as did Rex, but the Captain didn’t have to see his face to know Cody was smirking at him, one eyebrow raised.

“Did you wander off just to see if I’d come looking for you?” He asked softly.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Commander.” Rex responded, though there was a smile in his voice as well as he started back toward the tent. Once again, Cody held his wrist, keeping him from moving into the tent.

“Take off your helmet then.” Cody commanded lightly. “Let me see your face, prove you aren’t lying.”

Rex rolled his eyes. Not Cody’s best line, but it still worked. He popped the seals of his helmet, working it off and holding it under one arm as Cody pulled his off as well. Commander Cody closed the distance between the two men, tilting his head curiously down at Rex, tilting his chin up slightly to look him in the eye.

“Hmm,” he murmured thoughtfully, and without a moment of hesitation, pressed his lips lightly against Rex’s in a faint kiss. “Yep. Lips of a liar.” He teased, releasing Rex’s chin and stepping back, finally moving into the command tent.

“I was _not_ waiting for you.” Rex insisted, following him inside.

“I’m sure you weren’t, Captain. Get some rest, we have an early start tomorrow morning.”

 


End file.
